Thursday, December 31, 2026

Seventh Day Within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord

Christmas Time

Saint Sylvester I, Pope optional memorial

Selected Mass Reading

Gospel — John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God: and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life: and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world: and the world was made by him: and the world knew him not. He came unto his own: and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. John beareth witness of him and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me is preferred before me: because he was before me. And of his fulness we all have received: and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses: grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the Bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Saints Memorialized Today

Sylvester I Pope, Bishop of Rome, Catholic priest 300–336

Saint Sylvester I was born in Rome before the year 284, the son of a Roman named Rufinus. He became Bishop of Rome on January 31, 314, at a turning point in Christian history as the Church emerged from persecution into public life during the reign of Emperor Constantine. Though few personal details of Sylvester’s life are preserved, his pontificate is remembered for steady pastoral leadership and for guiding the Church through major controversies. He convened the Council of Arles in 314, which condemned the Donatist schism, and he called the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to defend the true faith against Arianism and to safeguard the Church’s confession of Christ’s divinity. Sylvester’s years also saw the rise of great Roman basilicas, including the Lateran, Old St. Peter’s, and the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, signs of a Church now able to worship openly. Venerated as a saintly pope of this foundational era, he is honored as patron of several towns, including Barberino di Mugello and Curtatone. His feast day is December 31.

Feast Days

Columba of Sens Virgin, Martyr 257–273

Saint Columba of Sens was born, according to ancient tradition, in Galicia in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, to a noble pagan family. As a child she fled her homeland, drawn to the beauty of the Christian faith and seeking safety from those who might denounce believers. In Gaul she received baptism and the name Columba, meaning “dove,” and eventually made her home at Sens. During the reign of the emperor Aurelian, her nobility and purity drew unwanted attention. When she steadfastly refused to marry his son and would not renounce Christ, she was imprisoned and subjected to cruel threats. The Lord’s providence was shown in the legends surrounding her martyrdom: a fierce she-bear protected her from violation, and a sudden rain extinguished the flames meant to consume her. At last, around the year 273, Columba was beheaded, sealing her witness as a virgin martyr. Her relics were long honored at Sens, inspiring pilgrimage and prayer. She is especially venerated in Charvensod, Santa Comba de Bértola, and Vilaboa. Her feast day is December 31.